Release from 20.08.2026

Busy Preseason weekend headlined by Red Bulls Salute

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All 14 teams of the win2day ICE Hockey League will be in preseason action from Friday to Sunday, with the remaining clubs set to play their first test match of the summer. The highlight of the weekend is the Red Bulls Salute in Zell am See featuring EC Red Bull Salzburg. Last season’s runners-up HC Falkensteiner Pustertal and Steinbach Black Wings Linz will compete in the Vinschgau Cup in Latsch, while EC-KAC and Olimpija Ljubljana are set for an all-ICE Hockey League clash.

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At the Red Bulls Salute in Zell am See on Friday and Saturday, hosts EC Red Bull Salzburg and EHC Red Bull München will be joined by Switzerland’s EHC Biel-Bienne and Czech powerhouse HC Dynamo Pardubice. As in the previous three years, the tournament will be played at the KE KELIT Arena, home of EK Die Zeller Eisbären.

After playing their opening-day semifinals in parallel in recent editions, the two Red Bull clubs from Salzburg and Munich will face each other directly in this year’s semifinal (Friday, 19:30). The winners of the two semifinals will meet in Saturday’s championship game at 19:00, while the third-place game is scheduled for 15:00.

Nine more games on Friday
In addition to the Red Bulls Salute, nine more games involving win2day ICE Hockey League teams will take place on Friday. At the Vinschgau Cup in Latsch, runners-up HC Falkensteiner Pustertal will take on DEL contender ERC Ingolstadt.

EC-KAC open their preseason campaign at Heidi Horten Arena against league rival Olimpija Ljubljana. It will also be the first preseason outing for the Slovenian side.

League newcomer Milano Hockey Club will take the ice under game conditions for the first time when they face Alps Hockey League side Ritten. Defending champions Moser Medical Graz99ers will also be in action, travelling to Mountfield HK. The Czech club faced Salzburg just last week and claimed a 2:1 shootout victory.

The Vienna Capitals begin their preseason in České Budějovice at the Energie AG Motor Cup, first taking on HC Slovan Bratislava before facing the hosts a day later.

HC TIWAG Innsbruck will meet HC Thurgau for the second time this preseason. The Tyroleans earned a 2:1 victory during the “Haie-Fest”, and the two teams now meet again in Switzerland. EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV will make their first home appearance of the preseason after suffering a 4:1 loss in Zell am See, welcoming the Dresdner Eislöwen.

The league’s two Hungarian clubs are also in action on Friday. Hydro Fehérvár AV19 host HC Košice, while FTC-Telekom travel to HK Nitra.

Five Games on Saturday
Saturday’s schedule is somewhat lighter. Alongside the placement games at the Red Bulls Salute, Fehérvár will face Košice for the second time within 24 hours. Steinbach Black Wings Linz open their Vinschgau Cup campaign against HC Litvínov. The Vienna Capitals remain in České Budějovice at the Energie AG Motor Cup to take on hosts HC Motor České Budějovice, while HCB Südtirol Alperia begin their preseason with a game against reigning Alps Hockey League champions Gherdeina in Corvara.

Three Games on Sunday
The busy preseason weekend concludes on Sunday with the final games of the Vinschgau Cup. Pustertal will face Litvínov, while the Black Wings take on Ingolstadt. In addition, Pioneers Vorarlberg travel to Switzerland to face EHC Kloten.

>> PRESEASON SCHEDULE <<